Flipped (Super Paper Mario SWAP AU)

Wisdom (29)

The red-cloaked ancient watched as the girl in orange left, then looked back at his house. It was a mess of memories, filled with countless scrolls and books he couldn't quite understand, but couldn't bear to let go. It was strange, how part of him was fighting so hard to move away from that old life while another part of him still held onto every item that represented the home and life he once had.

He walked over to the wall and traced his hand over the stars painted on it. Merlon always loved stars.

He had painted a few flowers as well, though they were harder to see because they were smaller and lower on the ground. Bleck liked them, which he was grateful for. It was comforting to see that aspect of him carry over to who he was now.

Sometimes, it still felt unbelievable. Of all people, he was the one still standing. He was the one still there, even though he was perhaps the one who deserved it the least. But he wasn't that person anymore. He wasn't an executioner, he was a founder. He built Flipside and Flopside up from the ground in hopes of creating a place where people of all different backgrounds could come together. All to keep Merlon's dream alive, all to build that perfect world his old friend and his son had always wanted.

He took a deep breath, then waved his hand. 

He teleported and landed in a white room. It took a moment for his head to stop spinning after teleporting so far. Pins and needles seemed to prickle at his hands, as they always did when he used more power than he had.

"Countess?" he asked, raising his voice slightly. He brushed his hood off and held his hands by his mouth in an attempt to amplify his voice. "Timpani, I need to talk to—"

"Go away," she said from behind him.

Pierre flinched and whirled around. She was crossing her arms and glaring at him with a gaze so fiery it could almost make him sweat, and he never sweated anymore. The constant state of being ice-cold was hard to get used to, but eventually, he stopped noticing it.

She looked slightly smaller. Still angry, but she looked paler... a little weaker. He remembered her as a young girl, sitting beside Blumiere in that meadow with ribbons tied in her hair.

"Are you going to give it to me?" she asked.

He shook his head no.

"Timpani... we don't have to fight."

"Then give it to me."

"No," Pierre said, holding his hands up. "Just listen, please—"

"No pixl, no negotiation," she hissed.

"Timpani, please try to understand," he begged, stepping forward when she suddenly reached forward and harshly shoved him back.

"Don't," she warned. "I've tried to be civil. I've told you how to stop this. I begged you to hand Bleck over so this fight could stop. But you said no, you always said no!"

"I can't hand him over," Pierre breathed, stumbling back. "But doing this... it's not going to make the pain go away. We can figure something out, something better for everyone! I have everything I need to fix it now."

"It's a little late for that," Countess Tippi scoffed, turning away.

His eyes softened slightly. He spent years trying to despise her. Trying to partially blame her for what happened and hate her for how she allowed her hatred and anger to turn into something so dangerous. But she was just as scared and desperate as he was. 

The difference between them was that he had Bleck, and she didn't.

"Go back, Pierre," she demanded. "There's no stopping this. Send your little heroes in. We'll see which side wins. Light or dark."